Cleaner



ug- 10, 1965 E. E. NoRDEl-:N 3,199,138

CLEANER 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed April 22, 1965 Aug. 10, 1965 E. E. NORDEEN 3,199,133

CLEANER Filed April 22, 1965 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 United States Patent O Erwin E. Nordsee, Si. Pani, Minn., assigner to Whirlpool Corporation, a corporation of Dc-la'vvare Filed Apr. 22, lo, Ser. No. 274,557 l tClairn. {CL E15-35%) his invention relates to a cleaner of the type adapted to be propelled over a surface being cleaned and to utilize a dust separating member for separating dust from an air stream.

The cleaner of this invention utilizes a rotatable brush for removing dust and dirt from a surface such as a floor and propelling it into an air stream where the dust and dirt are carried to separating member. This air stream is created by a motor operated blower and the air stream is given sufficient velocity to carry the entrained dust and dirt.

One of the features of this invention is to provide a cleaner having improved mounting means for mounting a cond lor the dust laden air in operative relationship with the blower that provides the air stream.

Other features and advantages of the invention will be apparent from Le following descption of one embodiment of the inv in the accompanying e tion as shown drawings. Or" the drawings:

FIF'URE l is a perspetcive view of a cleaner embodying the invention.

3 is a fragmentary rear elevatioal View of the cleaner oi FJURE 2.

" 4 is a bottom view partially in section of the r. with the cover plate removed.

5 is a broken sectional view taken substantial-) along line of FIGURE 2.

rl`he cleaner shown in the accompanying drawings comes a casing itl mounted on spaced rollers il for moveover a surface such las a iioor shown diagrammatically at The c t provided at the front thereof s a nozzle in which is located a rotatable brush l@ is lustrated diagrammaticali;7 `in the drawings. rthin the casing il? behind the nozzle l there is v ated a motor l5 substantially parallel to the brush fifi having one end i7 of ts shaft extending outward there- 1 om. This shart end l! is provided with a spindle for eit iS in order to rotate the brush The brush are held in bearings r9 at each end of The construction and assembly of the shaft the brush driving belt l and brush support bear- 'lis onventional.

una from the rear of the nozz e is an air passage 2d provided on its inner end with a vertically arannular bearing portion 2l. Positioned adjacent ing portion is a small blower 22 mounted on ing shalt end M that is opposite the end l eaiing means cemented to circular plate 25 which seals around extending shaft end 23. This blower housing means or plate 24 is also provided with an annular bearing portion The two bearing portions 2l and 225 are on opposite sides of the blower 22, are substantially concentric with the axis of rotation of the blower 22 which is the axis of rotation of the motor shaft end 23 and are each of substantially the same diameter. Each of these bearing portions 2l ant 2S is provided with an annular seal 26. As be seen from the drawings the common concentric yaxis for the blower 212, shaft end 23 and bearing portions 2l and 25 is essentially horizontal.

The cleaner also includes a conduit 27 for dust laden air from the blower 22 with this conduit including an nce lhlt Patented Aug. lil, 31%65 upper exhaust portion 2.5 exhausting through an opening 29 into a dust separating member 3d that is formed in two parts. The upper part is a cloth filter material for liberating the air by holding the dust and dirt and a lower removable container 32 into which the dust and dirt falls when the cloth part 3l is shaken or otherwise agitated. This container 32 is removably held by means not shown so that it can be removed periodically for emptying. The conduit 27 is formed in the bottom portion of propelling handle 53, and said handle 33 extends upwardly beyond the upper exhaust portion Ztl of conduit 27.

The conduit 2'? has a lower blower housing portion 34 that surrounds the blower Z2 and that is arcuate to engage the felt seals 2d on the bearing portions 21 and 25. With this arrangement the handle 33 which includes con duit 27 can be arcuately moved to a desired position either for propelling the cleaner over the floor or other surface or for storing. ln order to permit this arcuate movement about the bearing portions 2l and 215 the casing lll is cut away as indicated at As is shown .in llGURE 2 blower housing portion 34 and connector portion 37 of conduit 27 are somewhat heavier than upper portions 3o of the conduit 27. Upper portion 36 and connector portion 37 of the conduit 27 are telescopica-illy associated.

In order to hold the handle and conduit assembly in adjusted position, there is provided a leaf spring 3S within the casing lil having one end iixed 4as by the bolts 39 and the other end bearing against a projection Sli on the surface of the blower housing portion 3d.

The bottom of the casing lll is covered by a cover plate f5@ having a pair of rear spring clips 41 releasably engaging projections at the rear of the casing and a front inwardly turned flange d3 releasably held by a proiecting casing edge The cover plate all is cut away in the customary manner at 45 to provide an opening through which the bottom of the brush lil projects. The cover plate is also cut away at lo to provide for the bottom of the blower housing portion 34.

When lthe motor shalt i7 rotates the brush la by means rE the belt it the brush is rotated in a counterclockwise direction as viewed in FGURE 2. In order to prevent solid particles from being blown rearwardly beneath the cover plate the edge of the cover plate to the rear of the edge 3S is provided with a flexible liap di, held in place with a tapping strip 49, to intercept these solid particles and direct them into the brush id. This flexible liap 37 engages the surface being cleaned, in this case the floor l2.

The operation of the cleaner is as follows: The handle 33 may be lowered to any convenient position for propelling tre casing l@ over the floor illustrated at l2 and the positioning is achieved by the blower housing portion 34 rotating on the bearing portions 2l and 25. The rotation of the small blower 22 sets up a stream ot air of relatively low suction from the nozzle i3, through the air passage means Ztl and blower housing portion 341 into the conduit 27. rifhis stream of air carries dust and dirt that have been raised by the rotating brush irl and the stream with the entrained dust and dirt exhausts through the opening into the dust separating member The air passes on through the cloth iilter part 3l and the dust and dirt falls into the removable container 32. Passage of this dust laden air stream from the top or the conduit 27 into the dust separating member 3% is aided by the curved baille l at the top of the conduit 27.

As can be seen from this description, the construction of the cleaner is kept quite simple with a consequent reduction in weight and cost.

Having described my invention as related to the embodiment shown in the accompanying drawings, it is my intention that the invention be not limited by any of the details of description, unless otherwise specified, but rathf .a c er be construed broadly within its spirit and scope as set out in the accompanying claim.

vThe embodiment of the invention in which an exclus iyeV property `or privilege is claimed is defined asrfollows:

In a cleaner including a nozzle and a dust separating member spaced therefrom, apparatus comprising: a blower rotatable about a substantially horizontal axis for moving a stream of dust laden air; air passage means for said stream from said Vnozzlepto said blower; bearing means on said air passage means at one side of said blower; a blower housing Velement at the opposite side of said blower; a motor adjacent to but spaced from said blower housing element for rotating the blower; second bearing means on said blower housing element; a conduit for said air having an exhaust portion exhausting into said separating member and a blower housing portion around said blower engaging and movable on said bearing means, saidvair passage means, said blower housing element and said blower housing portion cooperating as substantially the sole housing for said blower; a motor shaft having an end extending through said blower housing element and on which said blower is mounted within said blower housing portion; and a sealing means on dsaid blower housing element sealingaround said shaft.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS WALTER A. SCHEEL, Primary Examiner. 

